To The Death

DVD, DS9 S4 (To The Death)

I saw the wall wobble. The blessing of DVD, its sharpness and vibrancy, is also its curse, as it shows up any flaws that would have been lost in the indistinct picture of video tape. I used to consider this one of the best ever episodes, but seeing that wall wobble (it's the one in the ziggurat when Worf runs in and dispatches a Jem'Hadar guard, bumping against the wall as he goes), was the final straw that edged it away from 'The Way of The Warrior' and 'The Visitor' into 'merely' classic four star status. This time I did notice the excessive cutting the creators complained about so much in interviews and it seems the episode has been cut three times now - for original TV release, for the video, and for the DVD, which was unnecessary. Trek at the time wasn't very violent in general and nothing has or should change there, but I never felt scenes here were worse than 'The Way of The Warrior.' Although I'm not an advocate of extreme or gory violence, this kind of action and fighting is fairly removed from that.

The cuts served to soften the Jem'Hadar a little, as did the apparent ease with which the DS9 crew dispatched the rebels, though I would suggest they were weakened by lack of white, or at the least, were on a tight ration. The moment where Jadzia advises a stunned soldier on the ground to run may have been funny, but it made him look weak and pitiable and the Jem'Hadar should never look weak, unless its done as it was in 'Hippocratic Oath,' to prove their dedication, to the death. Similarly Dax has a bit of banter going with Virak'kara, which is good fun, but makes him seem a bit Hugh-ish of 'I, Borg' fame, and the last thing the series wanted to do was make the race cuddly. Fortunately they didn't make the Jem'Hadar much more sympathetic in future episodes, but it does strike an odd note in the midst of what is the deepest look into their race so far, and was another reason not to award this the full five stars.

Now that I've got my qualms out of the way I must say what a well-written episode it is. I'd forgotten that an upper pylon gets mashed at the start, and I loved Levar Burton's directing of the scene when Sisko comes back to chaos, Quark wandering around shouting for his brother, casualties lying everywhere, smoke and debris scattering the corridors, Kira in the middle, ignoring her injury to coordinate damage control while the camera sweeps through and around the area. I'd have loved Kira and Bashir to go along on the mission to track down the renegade Jem'Hadar, (Bashir could have been running after them with his medical kit, patching up as he went, the Jem'Hadar on his side refusing treatment to his consternation), but someone has to stay behind with the station and presumably Lieutenant Reese (see 'For The Cause') was unavailable… Seeing Kira slashing through enemy soldiers side by side with Dax and Worf, would have been, in the Klingon's words, glorious, but the main roles were filled by Omet'iklan and Toman'torax (Brian Thompson back again after playing a Dosi in Season 2 and Klingons in 'TNG').

There are too many great lines from Behr and Wolfe to record here - just watch the episode: despite being cut to the death it's still one of the best this season and gives us what we've always wanted to see since he joined: Worf fighting Jem'Hadar. He stands up for O'Brien again, after saving him from a Klingon in the season opener, this time though I felt he wanted only the tiniest of excuses to lay into Toman'torax, and likewise, the Jem'Hadar wanted to fight a Klingon more than to obey his duty to the First. This is another example of the imperfect nature of the Dominion-bred warriors, that they can sometimes follow their own desires as few as those seem to be. It's also in the rebels who have set up the Iconian gateway and we'd already seen a nobler attempt at dissension from Goran'Agar earlier in the season. The Founders are proved not to be gods as the Jem'Hadar believe, but fallible beings that have had to control the loyalty of their imperfect creations with a drug.

I wonder what the process was that made the rebel Jem'Hadar rebel? Did they think by controlling the gateway they'd be able to get more white? Were they motivated by the desire to escape the Dominion, perhaps hearing about Goran'Agar and how he'd been free of the drug, or was it purely power? If it was power there's been no indication they have such thoughts, but as Weyoun finds out, his soldiers are more intelligent and far more loyal to the cause than he ever realised. Omet'iklan is honourable in his own way, wishing only to punish those that have broken their oath. He's quite the iciest member of the race we've seen, holding everything within, his eyes glittering (literally at one point he seems to have tears in his eyes as he threatens Sisko - was that because of the makeup or was he welling up with thought of how much joy he'd get from killing Sisko, or was it more like a madman foaming at the mouth, but it came out as watery eyes?). Because he speaks so softly he's much more threatening than Toman'torax, whose dominance and bullying gives Worf good reason to deck him, though we don't get to see who would win in a fight - it's stopped before it gets going.

Why did the Dominion want the Iconian gateway destroyed? Surely they would have thrown everything they had into getting hold of it. There's never a satisfactory reason why they needed Sisko's help to hunt down the renegades and why they only sent one ship. Weyoun brushes it off by saying there wasn't enough time, so perhaps there are uprisings in the Gamma Quadrant of races under their control? We've seen enough of the quadrants races to suggest there are a lot of tough opponents out there, and if the Dominion is as vast as we can guess it is, they must have a lot of subduing to do, much like the Roman Empire which was stretched out across the globe. I still don't see why they wouldn't want the Iconian gateway, but I guess it must be a matter of resources. This should give Starfleet hope, and maybe they should have sent a fleet, but that's not the way they work. If only the Cardassians and Romulans had held off until this moment to launch their attack it might have been successful.

One of the best things about this one is the introduction of one of the greatest characters of the series in Weyoun. Unlike Martok and Damar's first appearances this season, he is fully formed right off the bat, obsequious and slimy, perhaps more than at any other time. He claims he's just doing his job, but he misjudges Sisko with his veiled offer of the Federation Presidency, though it comes out as rather a formality that he didn't expect to work but has to try. It's the same with his soldiers and the way he halfheartedly recites the various procedures he must do, making him seem as if he doesn't take the whole Dominion thing too seriously. The only time his inner intensity comes to the surface is in his approach of Odo when he claims the changeling's lying when he says he doesn't want to return to his people. This is supposed to be the moment when the Founder's virus is passed to Odo, though due to the head shot framing we can't see Weyoun touch him. I like to imagine the Vorta with his head pushed up against the door of his quarters, listening for Odo's footfall so he can jump out on him as he does!

I think another reason the episode didn't hit all the spots it used to was because of the machismo and posturing that pulses through the episode. It creates a lot of tension and leads to some great moments, but I no longer think of those things as impressive or clever. Throughout it all Sisko holds his own ground and authority, his hooded eyes just as threatening as Omet'iklan's icy voice, which is much more admirable than Worf who proves again that he's not fully in control, open to provocation, just as he was with advocate Ch'Pok in 'Rules of Engagement' - he hasn't learnt his lesson. Yes, the situation was different in that you could tell he was eager to prove himself and his people to the Jem'Hadar, but he'd do that much better in Season 5 and instead has to be pulled back by Sisko. It's still a good showing for Worf, especially as he manages to get out of staying in his quarters for the remainder of the mission for his breach of discipline - I expect Sisko meant to confine him during the journey, as who would want to pass up having Worf on their side, but even then he's allowed to join in the battle drills so he can't have spent much time in solitary!

Dax and O'Brien also get plenty of good stuff to do, most poignantly the conversation they have about recording messages for their families. We learn Dax does one for her Mother as O'Brien does for Keiko. Dax hasn't been very visible in the last few episodes, probably one of the lesser used characters of the season. I think she was better served in Season 5, but until then, this episode helps redress the balance a bit. It's still a supporting role, but she has fun, knocks a few heads together and provides some light relief. It's also through her that we find out the most about the Jem'Hadar: they don't eat, they don't sleep, they don't relax and they aren't born, they're bred in birthing chambers. They also don't have much of a shelf life, considering those that make it to twenty years old, honoured elders. But at least they don't have to go through school, maturing in only three days as we saw in Season 3's 'The Abandoned.'

I'm glad they included the Iconian gateways in the story, a great link back to Season 2 of 'TNG' (I'll bet Michael Dorn never imagined he'd be making a sequel six years later on another TV series!), but I felt it was just a piece of background - they never did explore the Iconians and use the gateways to create an episode all about them, but that may have been 'Stargate SG-1's' fault. They may have felt it would be too similar to the premise of that series which came along only a year or two after this episode. You can't go far wrong with Jem'Hadar however, especially when hand to hand combat is the only way to relate to them.

****

Promise

DVD, Smallville S6 (Promise)

Both a high and low point of this season, something we've been waiting for since episode one, Season 1, directed fluidly, beautifully with an unending flow that never gives up, halting only to kick us in the face, and something that will keep the series going for a fair bit longer. Best to begin at the beginning, and as far as I can remember this is the only teaser that has no dialogue, just music all the way through as we look at the various things happening for people on the big day of the grand wedding between Miss Lana Lang and Mr. Alexander 'Evil' Luthor. A picture tells a thousand words, so one that's moving must tell ten to the dozen, and it does, in the faces of the people. The format of the episode isn't your run of the mill way of telling a story, it moves between different times of day for different characters and who did what, when.

This unique device, coupled with the troubled dreams of at least three characters, meant it was difficult to know exactly what was real and what was in the mind until well into the episode, and added to the insistent, though soothing music, pounding gently away in the background, gave a feeling of unreality that meant I couldn't be sure what to make of the momentous events unfolding. This atmosphere of being completely lost in the narrative, floating uncertainly, made it quite uneasy to watch, yet had so many links to the past and warm moments that it really could be described as a roller-coaster, albeit a slow and smooth one that you can't get off.

The fantastic craftsmanship, telling what was a fairly simple tale of the impending wedding, nevertheless failed towards the end - as soon as you guess Lana's going to turn up and go through with the wedding, even knowing Clark's secret, even wanting to get out of it, even knowing it's wrong, the tension flows out and the soapy elements flood right back in. They were always there, all the way through, but the fantastical bent of the story diverted attention like the dazzling jewels in a crown made of the same old same old, until the end where it's back to Clark looking sadly after Lana as she leaves with Lex, having married him to save Clark - after all the protection he's given her over the years she's returning the favour. Reluctantly, not because she doesn't want to save him, but because she must lose him to save him, give herself up to Lex and walk away.

The real Lionel Luthor returns. He's been away for a long time, as far back as Season 5, when he professed to be Clark and Martha's friend. But now he wreaks hard havoc in the small circle of people the series revolves around: he forces Lana to marry Lex against her will, threatening Clark's life if she but speaks of their conversation. Yet for some reason known only to him, he still doesn't tell his son the secret Clark's been hiding - there's that moment when he comes in talking about clearing up for Lex even on this special day because habits are 'hard to kill,' that I thought he was talking about Clark, but no, he's referring to the unfortunate doctor Lex murders by accident down in the crypt after the man blackmails him for money or he'll tell Lana what Lex has done to her. Then he says he'll claim the favour back from Lex when he's ready to, so what's he playing at? I noticed he didn't sit with Martha and it's been a while since the two have shared the screen, so maybe he's angry at her for not accepting him? Whatever the case, he's got his own plans.

The event that's been so long in coming, and to which I referred, has finally arrived. Just as Chloe saw Clark catch the car in Season 4, and Pete, well, I can't remember how he found out in Season 2, or how Lionel definitely found out last season, or if Lex knows (I don't think he does for sure), Lana finally, definitively discovers Clark's superhuman powers in that clever sequence in the wine cellar. Just as I knew the doctor wasn't getting out of that crypt alive when I saw him attempt to blackmail Lex, I guessed Lana was the one who closed the door on Chloe, locking her in and forcing to ring Clark for assistance (though getting a mobile phone signal through those thick walls is more fantasy than a freak-of-the-week!). She sees him pull the door off with his great strength, she sees him weld the hinges back on with heat vision and, in a change from the normal view of super-speed, she sees him turn and apparently vanish! Whoah, that's a lot to take in for anyone.

It would be, for someone that had no inkling, but Lana set this test up with good reason to suspect Clark. I don't know how many times she either almost witnessed what he could do, was unconscious while he did it, or saw what he could do while she was under the influence of something and later forgot it, but I'm sure someone on the internet has compiled a list. It must be a long list, but now she knows for sure and it's terribly ironic that the day she knows, Lionel also somehow knows that she knows and because of that knowledge can threaten her so successfully. What she should have done was talk to Clark, but she's not on the inside of the Kent's connection with Lionel, she doesn't know what this information would mean to them. It might have been just as dangerous for Lionel to threaten to tell Lex of Clark's secret, but we still don't know if he knows or not!

Lana dreams of that thrilling final scene of Season 1, where Clark came in and saved her from the howling tornado, which, by the way, looked really good - I wonder if they made a new CGI effect as it looked more detailed, and almost five years had passed since those original effects were done. But it was great to revisit that moment, even though they were just clips, and it made me wish we could have gone through several scenes where she'd had similar experiences, yet never known for sure it was Clark. Clark's own bad dream, opening the episode, seemed very real due to the way it was shot without any extra filter, blurriness or the usual tropes of alternate realities/dreams. I thought it was simply a dress rehearsal, but once Lex is stabbed from behind I knew I was in for a surprising and unsettling episode. The dream Lex has is equally unsettling, sitting there in the position of a megalomaniac, watching his unborn baby on a huge screen, the tiny face suddenly glaring right at him!

Something that was no dream (and also couldn't be CGI-ed to make her look better), was the return of Aunt Nell! Never one of my favourite recurring roles, she was still a regular face in the early seasons, bowing out by moving away in Season 2 as the writers got tired of the wonderful community they'd built up and got rid of many recurring characters. But she's back on Lana's wedding day and right away she makes Lana seem younger again, as if she's going to start telling her what to do and stuff. I'm glad they did that, as although Nell has been mentioned now and again in the series, so few people have ever returned, mostly because they were killed off, admittedly.

The episode didn't quite work completely - as I mentioned, the tension was lost as soon as we guess Lana's going to go through with the marriage (although I hoped for a third alternative, something along the lines of her running off and going into hiding), and the ending wasn't a patch on the beginning, usually it works the other way round, but there was so much to enjoy and such a powerful mood throughout and the device of slipping between different characters at different times of day was so effective, I would have to say this is a qualified best episode of the season, and coming twice in a row that amazes me. I only hope it doesn't become about Clark moping around and beating up Phantom Zoners again because they've proved they can once again do the compelling stories they used to do so well, featuring excellent direction, expertly chosen songs, and shocks aplenty.

****

For The Cause

DVD, DS9 S4 (For The Cause)

I always thought Commander Eddington was in a lot more episodes than he is, and only on this run through the series did I realise just how few appearances he actually made. The legacy he left of the ending of the Maquis storyline in Season 5 and the high-powered episodes that covered that ground may have been responsible for his character looming larger in the memory than might otherwise have been the case, but this episode must also take the credit for cementing him as one of the best personal villains Sisko had to face. It's a toss up as to which undercover operative is the most surprising, but Kasidy's secret deliveries for the Maquis are a much more personal injury to Sisko than Eddington's defection, though that makes Sisko's fury turn onto his former security chief that much more - he represents the face of an organisation that has caused Sisko so much trouble and now personal pain due to Kasidy. I wanted so much for the episode to end with Sisko standing alone in the empty cargo bay after Kasidy's been taken off by security, and I wasn't disappointed.

I'm actually far more familiar with the soundtrack to the episode than the visuals as it was one of very few I recorded onto audio tape on original transmission so my imagination of how things looked has given me two different visual perspectives and it's good to get back to the actual episode and see it again through my eyes again. I think, though the impact of the episode is still strongly felt, it could have been stronger if we'd seen Eddington a few more times, particularly this season. If his character had been in the consciousness a bit more, seeing him socialise a little with someone like O'Brien or Bashir, might have made the deception sou much harsher, but because of his position it would have been difficult to delve too deeply into him, his double life may have been more obvious. It's only later, and thanks to Kasidy's connection, that Sisko makes it his personal mission of vengeance to catch him.

As it is, up until this point he remained an enigma, with the gift of hindsight - he seems like a straight arrow that has no thought for anything but duty to Starfleet, so much so that he never caused any kind of ructions with anyone, not least Odo who you'd have expected to take badly a Starfleet security man on his patch, but, unlike George Primmin from Season 1, Eddington kept to himself, respected Odo's boundaries and never gave anyone cause for complaint, mercurially hanging back in the shadows of the series' unfolding story until the curtain came up and he stepped forward. That's not quite true as he did sabotage the Defiant on Starfleet orders in Season 3, but apart from that incident no one had cause for complaint. I'm not sure we ever heard how the Maquis used the industrial replicators he stole, but they must have been a great help for a small rebel group like that, as did the Cardassian's and Federation's preoccupation with the Klingons. O'Brien's the only one that gives positive voice to the cause of the Maquis, mentioning that they're fighting for their homes and families, so that you can imagine if he was in the same situation he'd do the same thing - shame he wasn't aboard the Enterprise-E during 'Insurrection'!

The episode is such a personal one for Sisko, so naturally his heavy mood permeates every scene he's in. As soon as the facts are spoken (reluctantly by Odo and Eddington, one of the few times we see them working together), the element of doubt creeps in and there's nothing he can do to stop it. In a way both he and Kasidy are spying on each other, and as far back as the season opener she was getting far too interested in station operations so it's likely she started working for the Maquis back then. Of course she could have been a plant from the off, way back when Jake first meets her and arranges for her to meet his Dad it could have been arranged by the Maquis which would make her position so much worse. It seems more likely that that was a natural meeting and it was due to her connection to Sisko that she was approached to work for the Maquis. As Dax points out, at least she was only delivering medical supplies, but Sisko cuts right through her attempt at softening the blow, just as he cuts through Kasidy's attempt at a bluff when he beams aboard the Xhosa.

As soon as Sisko begins running things through his mind (in one of my favourite sequences of the episode as the tension builds and Sisko's reasoning escalates until his mind returns to the station), and suggests an attack on DS9 might be imminent, Kasidy shows her true loyalty is to him and Jake, immediately telling him all she knows. He in turn gives her an opportunity to escape to see if she really does care about what has almost become a family. Jake makes the situation worse through the episode with his enthusiasm for anything related to Kasidy, confused when, in a great moment between he and his Dad, Sisko talks about how the bond between the two of them is the most important thing, and will always be there. Then he retires into himself, citing a bad day, though I'm surprised Jake didn't rejoin with the observation that he only just got up, so how can he be having a bad day!

It's not just Sisko that had a bad day: Kira gets blasted by a phaser, which was a good stunt since what I guess must be a stunt woman really hits the deck and her head seems to impact the floor! It's a bad day for Jake because his family is broken up (to cap a rough season in which Nog left and Jennifer died again), though he's always quick to forgive others, so Kasidy had nothing to worry about there (it's that forgiving nature that Sisko told Mirror Jennifer about), and Odo must also feel betrayed. Worf, too, must bear some of the blame, as one thing I don't understand about the episode is why Sisko didn't send the Klingon to command the mission since he's already taken on such duties before. Eddington's excuse that he needs to coordinate the replicators coming to DS9 is much more plausible than not wanting to be responsible for anything happening to Kasidy when the Defiant follows her - as a Starfleet officer and one that's so committed, it's not in character for him to balk at responsibility. I can understand Sisko deciding to take on the mission given the circumstances, but Worf was available - unless he was on probation following the happening of 'Rules of Engagement.' And why was Kira's whereabouts never questioned by Lieutenant Reese?

I don't think we ever found out the motivation of Kasidy Yates, but her nature is a strong-willed, independent person and the manipulation of her, shown by the Maquis, doesn't put them in a good light - they tricked her into being bait after she'd risked everything to help deliver medical supplies, and though, as O'Brien says, the Maquis' cause was just in some ways, in that they were defending their livelihoods, such organisations generally have a way of attracting bad elements to them, as we saw on 'Voyager' with some of the Maquis there (Suder for example, and Tom Paris - people that just wanted to fight). When such people get too much influence, then others, and ultimately the cause itself, suffers, and while it wasn't internal division that led to their downfall, but a greater, deadlier enemy that saw extermination as of no consequence, it didn't help their cause.

Sisko does something most out of character for a Starfleet officer when he rushes to Kasidy before she leaves on the final journey and offers her a way out, a third way that is neither compromising his orders or coming down hard on her. This is in character for Sisko who isn't 100% rules-focused, instead willing to bend them for the greater good (most memorably in Season 6). Kasidy's principles and ideals are as strong as his own and she feels she's doing the right thing, so she doesn't take him up on his offer of a last minute, drop everything trip to Risa, and seals her fate. But though she is given a choice again, to escape and never return, she cares deeply enough about Sisko and Jake that she comes back, but still shows an honourable streak to her crew by not bringing them with her to face the music - like the best captain's she goes down alone with her ship.

How early Eddington was a part of the Maquis we never knew, but all the time he served on DS9 he was probably a member. With the loss of Tom Riker it may have been the catalyst that brought him to the top of the pile as by the time he's captured in Season 5 he seems to be the leader and they discuss this self-image he seems to have of being a great hero, very far from the humble security officer that kept to himself. Whenever it was that he turned to the Maquis, he wholeheartedly believes in it to the extent that he's disillusioned enough with Starfleet to say it's worse than the Borg. It's an interesting statement to make and it's not the only words spoken against the Federation in Trek, though it was mainly 'DS9' which featured such sentiments (there are exceptions, such as Professor Galen in 'TNG'), pointing out that the perfect future that was so long unquestioned, is far from perfect. I like the questioning of what is the Roddenberry heart of Trek, though in truth it only came in with 'TNG.' But any paradise people want to leave is no paradise at all.

I haven't even mentioned the other storyline of the episode, so deep was the main plot! It involves Garak finally meeting Tora Ziyal, Dukat's daughter who had been left on the station under Kira's charge while her Father went out battling Klingons. Dukat must have realised leaving his daughter on DS9 would bring her into contact with Garak, but he's always managed to delude himself so he probably thought Kira would never allow it, and he was kind of right. The way she stomps into Garak's shop and shoves him up against a wall brought her back to the style she used to have before she became a much more diplomatic person, mainly this season. It must have been the clothes and hairstyle that did it, or maybe it was walking in the Emissary and First Minister's circles for so long, but we haven't seen her threatening and angry for a long time. It also shows she takes her responsibilities with Ziyal very seriously.

She's still got her great energy, but she channels it into playing springball in this episode, marking the first (and possibly only) time we see the sport, which is a fast-paced, more violent version of racquetball. It's been around for a while, at least as early as Season 2, as she and Bareil used to play, though we don't get to see who her opponent is in this game. The effect of the ball bouncing off forcefields sold the reality of a game in the future, and the conversation between Bashir and Garak was a delight, as ever, the wily Cardassian turning around Bashir's scolding just at the right time! The best scene is when he's talking to a grumpy Quark as a customer in his shop, and features one of my favourite ironic lines of the entire series: "Just… make it look good." "Oh, make it look good, and all this time I thought you wanted me to make it look bad. It's so much easier when the customer knows what he wants!" It makes you wish the two had more scenes together, what with this and the root beer scene this season.

As usual with the impetuosity of youth, Ziyal's the one that chooses her friends (like Harry Kim in the first episode of 'Voyager'), and even though she knows how dangerous Garak is and that he tortured her Grandfather (was this common knowledge before the episode?), and perhaps because of the danger and warning against Garak she wants to meet him even more. But as she says, they're both Cardassian outcasts and life might be a bit better if they spend time together rather than ignoring each other. The way they first speak is also so much fun, alone in the turbolift, one looks, then the other looks, then they both look and quickly look away. Garak shows he does have a genuine pleasant side in the way he pretends to be worried she's going to kill him, which he turns into a reassurance that she has nothing to fear from him either. I don't believe he really does fear her or think her capable of killing him, but the moment where Quark puts the seed of doubt in his mind is both hilarious and true to the characters. At last Garak has someone of his own kind with whom he can relax.

There's not much different about the second actress to play Ziyal and I wonder if it was really that they didn't like Cyia Batten's portrayal (which was very quiet and restrained, even when she was trying to be a pirate), or whether it was down to scheduling difficulties. The same goes for Tracy Middendorf who only played the role this one time - I was happy with her as Ziyal, but third time pays for all (as Sam Gamgee's Gaffer used to say), so I don't regret the recasting to Melanie Smith who brought the best mix of puppy-like devotion and sympathetic traits, while still holding her own when she needed to. To top off such a good episode with two enjoyable, twisting plots, there's also a great deal of continuity: we get mentions of Nog, the Borg, the Tholians and Kasidy's first mate is a Bolian, another of her crew is one of those fish-faced aliens. Sisko's back to his old cooking tricks again, Jake his old baseball tricks, the Badlands make another appearance and even the Vulcans join the fun, the IDIC symbol clear on the bulkhead behind Eddington when he jumps station leaving his combadge behind, but not his troubles.

****

The Chase

DVD, TNG S6 (The Chase)

A controversial episode that rather stomps on the Christian view that we were created by God and instead reveals it was all done by a humanoid race that wanted their memory to continue into the distant future. It might have been easier to create a monument or something, but the extreme time difference is supposed to be reason enough for them to think their civilisation wouldn't survive. Although it is so evolution-based, it does at least give a credible reason (beyond low budget or difficulty to create non-humanoids) that so many Trek species look human and have two arms, two legs and a head. I don't remember this major revelation ever being mentioned again, so maybe the writers thought twice about it or had no idea how to use this information, letting it lie rather than be accused of courting controversy. Not that Trek is ever far from science-based secularist views, but rarely does it state so unequivocally its point of view.

Taken as fiction, as Trek should be, it was an entertaining diversion away from the usual stories, making full use of starship power and the ability to dash about the galaxy without responsibility. It was also ably directed by Jonathan Frakes, though without any special plaudits in that regard, except the dynamic pulling back as Picard exits the bridge towards camera, which felt like a shot out of one of the films. Professor Galen was a throughly interesting man, mainly because of the hold he had over his former student, Picard, and it was a tragedy to lose him so soon. He held strong views not normally expressed, about the Federation being a dull and bloated empire and sounding as if he would be quite happy for it to fall, as all empires do eventually. On the other side of the coin the episode is about the races coming together, though the message of peace and cooperation is lost upon all but Picard and the Romulan leader who share a memorable conversation which ends the episode optimistically: that above the heads of all those squabbling and warlike races that hadn't even considered the value of the message that they all had common descent, perhaps one day there could be peace between all nations, an allegory for our own world, I expect.

We have another insight into Picard's backgrounds and regrets, the paths not taken and his absolute love of archeology so that he almost becomes Indiana Picard, except for the responsibilities of his ship and crew. It doesn't stop him from a compromise, taking them along on the mystery tour and diplomatically getting the Cardassians and Klingons to work together. The cast held some interest, Linda Thorson as Gul Ocett, who is the first female Cardassian ever seen (meaning, like the back room of the Runabout in 'Timescape,' that they showed the female Cardassian makeup for the first time on this series, and not 'DS9' as might have been expected), creating a link to 'The Avengers.' And to find out that the Founders were responsible for all creation was simply bizarre - I'm joking of course, but Salome Jens who played the ancient humanoid (somehow projected out of the tricorder without it showing a beam - I didn't even know it could do that!) would become much better known as the Female Changeling, leader of Odo's people. John Cothran Jr. who was Nu'Daq, the Klingon Captain impressed by Data's physical powers would go on to play another in the Mirror Universe story 'Crossover' on 'DS9.' The Klingons had different names however, so they weren't the counterparts of each other, disappointingly.

Other little things I enjoyed were seeing Beverly's tea set again, though some confusion now reigns over who owns it - I couldn't be sure if they were in her quarters or Picard's. Either way, their sups together have become most regular, and really should have continued into the film series. Galen mentioned Deep Space Four; although Deep Space Nine was clearly the ninth starbase of the range it's good to hear others spoken of. What each consists of isn't clear since they're obviously not going to be Cardassian-made like DS9. It was also fun to see Maurice Roeves as the Romulan Captain, his angular face bugged me for all of the few minutes he was part of the story, as to where I'd seen him before - he was in 'The Last of The Mohicans,' the Daniel Day Lewis film. As much as I liked the Yridians being part of it we didn't actually get to see any (nor the mentioned Vulcans) which could have made for an even more momentous final scene, though having all those aliens together was historic, the set looked pretty fake, possibly undermining the moment a little. I also felt the Yridian ship went out with a whimper, the effect not cutting it, but as a whole it was a good adventure story.

***

The Muse

DVD, DS9 S4 (The Muse)

As much as I tried not to like this one, and found reasons to do so, I couldn't help but enjoy a lot of moments in it and realised I'd had a good time - the world and its characters were enough to make up for the dull scenes of Jake writing while the vampire bat behind him sucks up his creativity. There's so much to like: Sisko and Kasidy going off on a camping trip to the Bajoran Outback (I didn't even know they had an outback) could have been a sub-story in itself; Majel Barrett's final onscreen Trek appearance; Michael Ansara's final 'DS9' appearance; Odo playing hide and seek; Jake signing off on his future book at the end, neatly tying into 'The Visitor' and its vision of the future (he even mentions the Pennington School again, but it doesn't matter how many times he speaks its name, he's not any closer to getting there!); Quark's uncharacteristic generosity in throwing a party for Odo and Lwaxana, proving despite what he says he really does think of Odo as a friend.

Previously I had found the episode a little tiresome, but the space vampire stuff didn't drag it down enough any more. I wondered if it might have been more effective an episode if Meg Foster had been human-looking, her alienness apparent only from her ghostly pallor and piercing eyes. Or they could have had her appear ugly at first and gradually becoming beautiful like a butterfly emerging so that her next lifecycle was completed - this might have added some sympathy for her, an understanding of her nature that needed creativity to survive. Then when she escaped off the station and went to warp there might have been an element of beauty instead of being a 'TOS' monster of the week, that she might be emerging into her true form at the unfortunate Jake's expense. She reminded me of a cross between the Salt Vampire and Flint since she needed something from others to harvest and she'd lived hundreds of years, knowing many great minds - in Flint's case he was some of the great minds - that would have made a nice crossover, if she had met one of Flint's personas…

When Lwaxana (or Laxwana as Ansara pronounces it the first time!), runs to Odo I at first wondered why she hadn't gone to her daughter on the Enterprise where she'd have been sure of high-ranking support from Captain Picard, but then I remembered the D had been destroyed the previous year and the E hadn't yet been built, or at the very least, shown on screen. The Lwaxana episodes have always been strange on 'DS9,' skewed differently from the comedy the character generally engendered on 'TNG.' Like O'Brien and Worf, the series developed her further than 'TNG' had ever done, giving us a much more vulnerable and honest look into Mrs. Troi and allowing Majel to act rather than overact - not that the overacting was bad, it was delightful, but it is different to see the way she interacts with Odo as opposed to others.

By this point Odo knew her well enough to be at ease with her and understand the way she worked, but he also cared deeply for her, and his testimony of love that must convince her previous husband Jeyal that he genuinely does want to marry her is very far from the hilarious loss of dignity suffered by Picard in a similar position against the Ferengi in 'Menage a Troi' because he's genuine and she has changed him. She was the first he ever opened up to because he had no choice and the first that knew about Kira. It's sad this was the end of her appearances as she always added something to Odo, but they couldn't have gone anywhere else with the two so it was a natural parting.

It did leave her in an awkward position however, as we never found out how she dealt with motherhood at her age, or what Deanna thought about having a half-brother, and in retrospect it may have been better if the story hadn't included the pregnancy somehow as it meant she wasn't going to pop up in any 'TNG' films. She does speak openly about losing her daughter, Kestra, and little links back to 'TNG,' but no 'Mr. Woof' or other funny moments, reduced to having fun with Odo hiding as something in his quarters, or depressing the usually irrepressible Dax before she and Kira head to the Holosuite for another Camelot adventure in their attire from 'The Way of The Warrior' - Worf looks like he was caught coming out of an exercise program, but all look equally dejected.

The usually buttoned up Odo goes to the lengths of allowing all his friends and colleagues into his quarters for the wedding ceremony and declaring his love in the most honest tones that it puts even Lwaxana off her stride. I think he may have surprised himself, and certainly the main cast look suitably dazed by proceedings. I do wonder what Lwaxana did on the station in the time she was there and they were married as that would have made an interesting arc if they'd wanted to pursue it for a few episodes. The other main story about Jake being sucked into a dangerous situation could be an allegory for solitary teens and how they can get fooled and taken to things that at first seem glamourous, but become addictive and dangerous for their health. I couldn't help but think of Onaya all day long putting up all those drapes in her quarters and arranging candles to be just right for Jake's visit - she probably had some kind of power to move things without physically doing it, or maybe she went into her energy form and did a quick whip round the room in no time. In the Trek universe paper is not something you expect to see and I love the way she brings it in, presentation is everything, the rich purple handkerchief covers a perfectly together load of loose sheets that are thin and translucent, yet tough enough to take a good pen stroke.

The visual change in Onaya was subtle, she goes from deathly pale manuscript yellow in almost black clothing to close to normal skin tones, her wardrobe also lightening up as she takes away Jake's life little by little. Good that it's Sisko who saves his boy (while Jones is there in the background and goes down the wrong tunnel!), but even then Jake wants to keep going, feebly asking his Dad not to interfere. The moment she walks through the wall in sickbay, then knocks out poor Nurse Tagana (played by Pat Tallman), was one of the better effects of the episode, though the lighting in the room should have been subdued. The Odo story was far more enjoyable however, seeing him have more fun than we've seen in ages, Rene Auberjonois grinning from ear to ear and nimbly leaping to the ground during the hide and seek game with Lwaxana - he must have been in his late fifties, so it's quite impressive. The Tavnians are a strange race as it seems a wife doesn't need to divorce her husband before marrying someone else, it automatically annuls the first marriage. I don't know how she ever came to be in such a marriage in the first place, but she's always been looking for a new man ever since we first met her in the first season of 'TNG.' Some things never change.

Taken as a horror story it doesn't work very well, but adding all those great Odo moments together and the pleasant way Jake's story ends, I find it hard to be harsh about it. Just being on the station with those characters is sometimes al you need.

***

Freak

DVD, Smallville S6 (Freak)

One of the best this season has produced, and all without the Green Arrow, not something I expected to see. For once a plot comes along that really is clever and shakes up the foundation of the characters without seeming contrived and ridiculous, but more on that later. At first this appeared to be one of the usual freak-of-the-week stories, the guy at the bowling alley possibly having an ulterior motive in handing out bowling tips to Lana on her unconventional batchelorette party with Chloe. It quickly becomes apparent that he was just a harmless example of the Meteor Freak generation, something we haven't seen much of in the past, but adding a new slant to the mutations - some of these have managed to stay quiet about their abilities and help people, not harm, managing to blend in to Smallville society. Daniel Kim was just one of several in the town targeted by Dr. Bethany who is a bit mysterious at first but is soon revealed to be working for Lex, though secretly. He's one of the many that have tried to exploit the infected over the years, and this time he's using one of them to turf out the others.

The unique ability of Tobias Rice is that he can see the infected when his dark glasses are taken off, which leads to one of the most fascinating twists in recent seasons, from several angles: I was probably mistaken for thinking the photo taken at the bowling didn't match up with the time Tobias pointed at Kim, but regardless, it leads to Clark and Chloe going to the freak's house, just like the old days, only this one's not an enemy. There's a great moment where Clark catches the glass in super-speed (though I don't think we actually saw it), to avoid embarrassment, but instead causes much more of a problem because in the confusion Tobias' shades fall off and he sees all! Now that's not too bad - many of the mutants Clark's faced over the years have known he was one of them… or was he? That's the blazing insight given off by the episode: Clark doesn't show up as one of them because, as Chloe explains to him at the end, he's not one of them. But she is. Tobias saw her and she was the one he phoned Dr. Bethany about, which is a thrilling and totally unexpected turn of events!

Clark does some blatant laptop stealing and he really should have taken it without the Doctor's knowledge rather than whipping past and then striding out with it openly under his arm. It was a good moment though, one of many to showcase Clark's powers such as we have't seen for a long time. So often things are reduced to him dashing about at super-speed or throwing baddies against walls, that his super-hearing, X-ray vision and heat vision had almost been forgotten. But not this time! Clark and Jimmy are both devastated by Chloe's abduction, as they should be (Clark not demonstrating super-intelligence as one of his abilities when Jimmy's at Chloe's place over the Talon, Clark comes in, Jimmy asks him where she is, and Clark replies "she's not here?"), but it's what happens when she comes back that makes the difference. Obviously they can't discuss the meteor freaks in front of Jimmy because he's not yet in the know, but someone that does seem to be in the know is Lana, believe it or not. She's finally put all the pieces together and wonderfully tries to protect Clark by helping Tobias escape from his false benefactor, finding out from him that Clark isn't the infected person she believed he was.

The moment where Clark speeds in, deflects the bullet fired by Lana to protect Tobias, takes the blast from Bethany's electro-blast (which must have bounced back to kill him) and exits without being seen is one of those classic moments of brilliance that have long been missing from the series - inventive, impressive and excellently directed. There were some scenes in the episode where I sensed it was going to cut away, but instead the scene carried on: when Lex threatens Bethany for one, and later when Clark reassures Chloe that he'll be there to make sure she's alright even if she becomes a mutant. It was like we were being shown some of the things that are usually cut away from, making it a much more rounded experience.

What could be more satisfying than for Clark and Lana to have a genuine conversation about whether Clark was infected by the meteors or not - it's only taken five and a half years to get to, but it was well worth it to see Lana reassure Clark that even if he were such a person he'd still be the same Clark. They're the words he always wanted to hear, it's just a shame they had to come at a time when she's about to marry Lex and Clark's already seen his world collapse when he told her what he really was in the alternate future last season. I can't imagine him ever getting to that point again, but it's absolutely heartening to see these characters talking warmly to each other, people's lives saved mysteriously again. Lana even holds up the bullet to show Clark, instead of hiding it away in a drawer and stealing glances at it to make us wonder what she knows. I do wonder what she thinks Clark really is or how he might have done the things he seems to have done, but the important thing is that this episode ends happily, even finding time for a song which was another aspect of it that felt like the old episodes.

It's a refreshing change to have so many things spoken of openly and most things cleared up in the space of the episode instead of hanging over, tempting us, but even then there are plenty of things to come back for, not the least that Lex swore on the soul of his baby that he had nothing to do with Tobias or knew anything about it, when it's clear he had much to do with it. Does that mean he thinks their baby won't have a soul? Does that mean it may not even be human, but some terrible experiment from him? It's all a scary thought. If you want horror though, this had a moment that was bordering on the torture films that became popular in the last few years: Clark has to burn through Chloe's skin and rip out a tracking device buried under her collar bone! It was horrible, but it also shone the light fully on their friendship, that she was willing, even begging, to trust him and the control of his abilities, to save her. It turned out to be only a GPS, but it could have been some miniature explosive like 'Mission: Impossible III.'

Lex has gone far deeper into the dark side than I expected, baldly lying to Lana, his bride to be, sanctioning Chloe's violent treatment and ordering her kept under close watch, while still taking the lead in all the meteor freak research and development that can be done. Lana has shown she doesn't fully trust him by going over his head and trying to steal Tobias away (nicely finished by sending him to Star City under the care of Queen Industries who will take care of the cornea transplant), and that she would protect Clark if she thought he needed her to. It was a such a good episode all round, and despite Martha and Lionel not featuring it had so many things to recommend it: action, suspense, great twists, wonderful character moments and excellent use of the freak storyline upon which the series was originally based. In some ways that would have made this a freak episode among lesser seasons, but as this season has been an improvement, it merely stands tall as one of the best among the good.

***

Shattered Mirror

DVD, DS9 S4 (Shattered Mirror)

Losing one wife and Mother could be considered unfortunate, but to lose the same one twice is sheer carelessness. If you had a choice between sacrificing the real Jake or the Mirror Jennifer most would probably choose Jennifer as she couldn't fit into their lives for real - Kasidy would have a thing or two to say about that. Then again, watching following episode 'The Muse' you might change your mind… Sisko would be most devastated to lose his son, but even more, Jennifer was 'meant' to be dead and it's difficult to see how she could have become a part of his life again, but even so, they didn't have to kill her and missed a trick by not having her meet Kasidy.

This was the third annual jaunt to the Mirror Universe, the final part in a loose kind of trilogy, since the parallel universe was left fallow for a year after, and the next visit was actually an inverse of the other stories by having characters visit our universe. I think it was wise to leave off the strand for a while as, although this was a pretty good episode, it had lost some of the tension of the previous two stories and comes across as low-key. When you think of the big battle in which the tough little ship ISS Defiant faces off against a gigantic Klingon cruiser/warship/whatever it's called, it might seem ludicrous to brand the episode low-key, especially when many of the Mirror performances are anything but.

My point is that there isn't such a feeling of danger and edginess that featured so successfully in the first two visits: in 'Crossover' Kira and Bashir learn about this alternate reality and the revelation that it's the same universe visited by Kirk and crew in 'TOS.' The pair are in constant danger, whether they realise it or not and it becomes a race to escape the clutches of the Intendant and the evil denizens of Terok Nor. 'Through The Looking Glass' took things a stage further by having Sisko kidnapped and forced to play his Mirror counterpart to stay alive, forcefully interacting with people he knows, but doesn't know. The threat of exposure is ever-present and added that extra spice (not to mention the excellent cameo of Tuvok from 'Voyager').

This visit to Mirror, Mirror-land doesn't have such high stakes: the Terran rebels have beaten back the Alliance forces and claimed Terok Nor for themselves. Yes, there's the inevitable threat of a fleet coming to retake the station from them, but there's very little interaction between the two sides, and Regent Worf and Garak (like Jabba The Hutt with Leia chained to his side), are kept removed from the other characters. There are some good moments with Worf displaying the impatience and rage that our Worf keeps in check just below the surface, and the black humour in the moment he stabs the slimy Cardassian while the Klingon guard sheepishly realises the key which Garak was accused of stealing has actually dropped into his boot, is quite amusing (but like last episode I can see why the video was rated 15).

When Sisko first arrives he just walks off with Smiley O'Brien to his office and they have a little chat. There's nothing dynamic in the way Sisko acts, he just seems mildly put out that Jennifer would take Jake. And it turns out that Jake went of his own free will, so there's little to cause ripples, aside from Captain Bashir punching Sisko in return for the wallop he gave him in the last episode, but that enmity doesn't go anywhere, they're even, and Bashir doesn't really cause much trouble after that. Admittedly, I thought he was going off to warn the Alliance when he takes a ship (the interiors looking strangely like that of a Runabout…), so his heroic moment worked, when he comes in cheering to take the Defiant's back in the battle against the Klingon super-cruiser, very much in the style of Han Solo surprising us all by speeding in on the Millennium Falcon during the Death Star attack, something that, thanks to the sheer size of the thing, was quite reminiscent of the surface battle of that film, the Defiant ducking and weaving on the huge underside of the enemy vessel.

Like Bashir, Dax didn't have much to do, aside from slapping Sisko for fooling her at their last meeting, hanging off Bashir and pressing a few buttons. There are a lot of little moments like that that don't have much explanation so it feels like a very insider episode - you need to have seen the other Mirror stories to really understand, there's so little reintroduction of the concepts and characters. I think one of the biggest things that lessens the impact of the episode as a whole is that with Terok Nor now under rebel control its gloomy interior, glowing red and with a slightly different layout to DS9 (no central Ops console, very strange to see and a different camera view from behind the transporter pad), there's no danger there any more. About the most threatening thing on the station is the pint-sized Quark-alike, Mirror Nog, who exists only long enough to upset Jake and get himself killed by the Intendant, adding his name to the roster of familiar characters that have been killed off, and in particular, fulfilling the edict of 'a Ferengi an episode' which began with Mirror Quark and continued with Mirror Rom.

So without the imminent threat of discovery, and without the station seeming such a terrible place, and with the enemies off in the distance, what is there to keep something burning in the heart of the episode that it remains a good watch? Jennifer Sisko. Her third and final appearance came at the right time in the series - we'd just had some throwbacks to the first season, with Kai Opaka and Sisko's role as Emissary, and since last we met Mirror Jennifer, Kasidy had come on the scene and the series is now gearing up for its second half. So it seems right that they closed out that storyline. There was never any doubt that Sisko had by now put his wife's death behind him and moved on, so it's left for Jake to carry the weight of seeing his Mother, and yet not his Mother. The first scene when he's been shooed off from his and Nog's spot on the Promenade, visibly missing his friend (and by the end I'll bet he was missing him even more after meeting Nasty Nog), he returns home to see his Mum sitting there. Lofton's features crease into confusion at first, but soon he's playing a great glee and excitement, growing as the episode progresses. Jennifer shares the intensity of the experience, seeing the child she never had and this is the core of the story, leading her to sacrifice herself to protect Jake who looks upon her as the Mother he didn't have.

Jake's belief that they can be a family again is evident on his eager face, so when his Dad tells him to stop making plans you can tell that's exactly what he's been doing. I didn't feel the loss as strongly as other deaths on the series. I'm not sure if it was because of the unreality of the setting, or the thought they could just pop off to another parallel universe and see her again. Actually, that's the point of the Mirror Universe: it's not just any old alternate reality, it's a set reality that has its own continuity and plots - here we're left with the threads of the Intendant's escape to Bajor where friends will hide her (sparing Jake's life and intending to collect the debt from Sisko), and Worf and Garak's plan to kill her and all the rebels. This isn't a universe that can be reset like the eleventh film did, it has its own rules and internal consistency, which I think most people want from Trek. Yet it also enables the writers and actors to have fun and do almost whatever they like.

I'd have liked O'Brien and Kira to cross over (presumably some kind of DNA tracer pattern selected only Sisko for transport), and as it is there are no doubles at all. I also felt it could have done with a guest star from 'TNG' or 'Voyager' for added appeal, although we do get the Mirror Worf for the first time and I loved his "Make it so" before bopping Garak away! I also liked seeing the agoniser again, which was originally used on Chekov in 'TOS,' I believe. Dennis Madalone was the famous Stunt Coordinator, and also played the Marauder in the Mirror episodes, and he finally gets a line, blaming the Intendant for his wife's death. I felt he was far too easily knocked out by little Nog brandishing a tea tray, and I have the feeling he never appeared in the subsequent Mirror episodes, but at least he had a moment of glory, ignoble as it was. Carlos Carrasco, Garak's guard, had previously played another Klingon, D'Ghor in 'The House of Quark' so this could be the Mirror version of him. He'd later play a role on 'Voyager' ('Fair Trade') and an Orion Syndicate criminal in 'Honour Among Thieves.'

It's good that the rebels got their own version of the Defiant, although it had already been seen - the interiors were used for a rebel ship in 'Looking Glass,' minimally disguised. As much as the angry ship was useful, and I liked seeing all these people working hard to get her ready, that's precisely what was missing from the station scenes. I wanted Sisko to blow his top, to do something radical, but everyone knows he's not their Captain Sisko and I wanted to see people out to get him from the rebels, perhaps his life being in danger from Bashir, and having to properly fight him at a critical moment during the battle or preparation. But he stays calm, only seeming slighted by Jennifer stealing Jake away, but at the same time having the greatest endorsement of the way he brought his son up when Jennifer compliments him on Jake, the closest he could get to hearing his wife tell him he's done a good job. Yet I never felt strongly enough about any scenes, even Jennifer's death, and I don't know whether that was the acting (Worf and Garak are off the scale in their own little set, but everyone else isn't extreme enough), or that the story was fairly basic, or that the uncomfortable innuendo was on the rise, I just don't know. Perhaps the invention and opportunities of the Mirror Universe had been exhausted by this time?

***